Port regroups for a Kangaroo hunt

CRITICISED for dud recruits, a misfiring forward line, dog acts and off-field misdemeanours, Port Adelaide is copping it from all quarters entering Saturday's clash against North Melbourne.

Power midfield manager Michael Voss noted the fickle nature of the AFL industry defending the value of recruits Jack Watts, Steve Motlop and Tom Rockliff following a 34-point loss to Geelong.

"We heard a lot of comments about how important they were in the first two weeks and in two weeks that has changed," said Voss.

"We have a large portion of our group that need to improve but to single out I think it largely premature."

Complicating Port's task to win and stay in the top eight against third-ranked revelation North Melbourne is the absence of leading goalkicker Todd Marshall on personal leave.

Star midfielder Powell-Pepper will miss a third and final game in an AFL sanction for inappropriate behaviour at an Adelaide bar. Port must replace another forward, Lindsay Thomas, serving a collective four-match ban for hits on Cats siblings Scott and Joel Selwood at Adelaide Oval. Selwood labelled Thomas's bump on brother Scott a "dog act" at the AFL tribunal.